Monday, May 19, 2008

Well, I've been telling you that I had some big news on the horizon - now I can tell you what we're up to...

This Summer, hubby and I are renting a sweet little space in this Antique/Gift shop called "Whispering Willow Gifts and Antiques" to sell our creations!! We are SO EXCITED!! We're signing a 3 month lease starting June 1st - so it will surely be a Summer of learning - learning what our customers are looking for, learning how to price, learning how to merchandise, and learning how to restock (hopefully)... I KNOW how to buy stuff - but can I sell it...? SO, that'll be my Summer School adventure - and I'm sure it'll be quite an education...This is the space we will be renting - they will move all this vendor's products out, then over the weekend of May 30 - June 1 we will get in there and make the space our own!! When you walk through the shop, which was previously a 70's ranch-style home, this space stood out to me - it's walls are buttery yellow, and it's just cheery, bright, and sunny, having really good lighting and a big window....(It looks dim in this first photo because my flash didn't go off...)

It'll be fun (and a lot of work) to get these, this, those, and all that in there, but it'll be SO worth it!! Let the schoolin' begin!

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Birthday Bash!(Coming Soon!)

This humble little blog will turn three years old on Monday, June the 9th!! It's hard to believe... SO, we are going to celebrate this momentous occasion in style with a BIG BIRTHDAY BASH including a wonderful giveaway package, a graphic to share, and a few surprises too - so please stay tuned for future updates, a sneak peek at the prize package, and other goodies to set the stage for the big event!!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Got the A-OK from my sweet customer, aka my awesome, wonderful, dear friend from Colorado, on this F.R.O.G. illustration that she commissioned, so I can post it now. I just showed you a teaser of this illustration last week - now, here's the whole enchilada...I started out with a pencil design on illustration board, then I added the ink...

...then I used colored pencil to add color and shading (reminds me of coloring in a color book, which I've never outgrown, btw)...and finally I added the name and birthdate (and I prayed really hard not to mis-spell anything at that point!!)

...and here's the finished scan...

This will be for her nephew's new baby boy. His room was being decorated in frogs, and my friend found out that the acronym F.R.O.G. means "Fully Rely On God" - so, that was the genesis of the illustration. It was SO much fun to work on...it has been a long time since I had done a piece like this in traditional media. (here's the last one I had done) I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks Susie for the order - it was my pleasure!______________________________

An Award!...

My dear, sweet friend and fellow artist Celestina Marie of La Rea Rose was gracious enough to honor me recently with the "Arte Y Pico Award". Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Celeste, you sweetie!! The award you received initially was so well deserved, and couldn't have been bestowed on a nicer, more talented person - Congratulations!! I now have the honor of passing it on to 5 talented, giving blog buddies - this is REALLY hard as I know SO MANY super-talented, super-sweet artisans - so please consider this a sampling of the finest I know from a variety of artistic endeavors...and by all means check out my links on the right - they all deserve this award!!

The rules are as follows:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for creativity, design, materials used, and their contribution to the community no matter what the language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and the name and link to the blog that awarded it.

4.The award winner and the one who has given the award have to show the link to "Arte Y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. Show these rules.

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My 5 special friends/awardees:

Geninne of Geninne's Art Blog - Superb watercolor illustrator , collage artist, handmade stamp maker, and all around wonderful person, Geninne has been a blog friend of mine from very early days of doing Illustration Friday back in 2005. BTW, If you like birds, you simply must check out her 20 bird designs she's just completed for her new house! Stunning!! Please stop by and say hi...you'll be glad you did!

Samantha of The Handmade Dress - You'll be blown away by this sweet young mother's unbelievable talent with a needle - be it sewing and appliqueing the most adorable little dresses for her girls or hand-crocheting lace trim (yes, people still do that by hand!!), Samantha will amaze you with her God-given gift. She even offers tutorials and has published a book on her crocheted edging technique. Give her a visit - you'll love it there!

Paula Becker of Whateverings - Paula is one very funny, talented gal - wow! Digital cartoons, smart greeting cards, cool children's resource and book illustrations...the list of her work goes on and on! She's always been so very helpful and encouraging to me, and her site never fails to make me smile - head over there and smile for yourself!

Dawn of The Feathered Nest - This sweetheart excels at taking humble bits of this and that and making gorgeous collage and assemblage pieces out of them - I marvel at what she can create with twigs and twine, vintage papers, old watches, lace, ribbons and the like! Her work inspires me to see beauty in the little everyday things that surround us, but that we don't always take notice of. Please go and check it out - I'm sure she'd love a visit from you!

Kari & Kijsa - If you've never been introduced to this delightful-dynamic-duo-of-diet-coke-drinking-decorating-designers, then you're in for a real treat. They are clever, resourceful, multi-talented sisters who have quite a knack for balancing the lovely and the practical - and always with an extra helping of whimsy! Always inspirational, always accessible, always fun, they will most assuredly make you feel at home, and make you feel like you can really achieve the great looks that they do. In fact, they regularly invite readers to post their own ideas to the numerous decorating dilemmas that they receive. Head on over and prepare to be delighted!

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and other things...

I know, I know...it's Wednesday and still no Way Back Wednesday for May yet :o( - alas, I will likely go to writing them once a month since I can't seem to get them done twice a month...and I was doing so well when I started - EVERY week...oh well, thanks for your understanding. But I am still planning to do 1997 next. But in June, get ready - BIG stuff happening for me that I can't wait to share - let me just share these little tid bits...3 year blog birthday, big party and giveaway, and a grand opening - whew...it's gonna be a whirlwind of activity and fun and inspiration, so please don't miss out!! Full, official announcements coming REALLY soon!!!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."Proverbs 31:28 - 29

Thank you Mom for being my very best friend...and close confidant. You've always believed in me and encouraged me in everything I set my hand to do. I treasure each and every moment we have together...and every sweet memory we share. You are are so very beautiful inside and out. Thank you for loving God with all your heart and modeling that for me all these years - I am so grateful. I am so proud of you and so proud to be called your daughter! I love you with all my heart!

Happy Mother's Day!!!______________________________

And a special Mother's Day greeting to all you sweet Moms out there - hope your day was just what you'd hoped for! Many blessings to you and your family !!

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"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."3 John 1:4

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

"What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations..."Psalm 104:24

Sunday morning, I took off on a walk on the trails in ourneighborhood, camera in tow. It was a gorgeous day here in Houston...and it would have been perfect, but my sweet hubby works on Sundays, so alas, he wasn't with me. :o( I walked a path that we've travelled many times, but for some reason I've never had my camera until that day...so glad I did...

This is one of our favorite spots - a little hill overlooking a beautiful cove surrounded by woods...this is a perfect spot for picnics and cuddling :o)

This is the pavilion where we typically stop our bikes or our walk for a breather and watch the ducks, turtles, egrets, and herons frolic...

I wish I could've captured this better - the water was sparkling like diamonds...

This is oleander-blooming season, so I was delighted to see the HUGE oleander bushes in full bloom across the cove...

...so I set out to go around to the other side for a closer look...

...I was not disappointed...

I was tickled to get a glimpse of a mama duck and her two ducklings - how cute is that...?

It was a lovely walk...it got my day started the right way!______________________________

Afterward, I was able to make excellent progress on a custom illustration I am doing for a dear friend in Colorado - it's a cutie-patootie piece for her grand-nephew. Here's a little sneaky-peek of the design early on...(at the time of this posting, it's finished and en route to CO). I'll show the completed illustration once it reaches her...

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The incredible garage sales, spending time with my Baby, drawing for a friend, drinking in God's wonderful creation, praising Him all day long ...

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."Proverbs 24:3-4

Well my sweet thriftin' buddies, we had one of those magical weekends where you have great weather, ample garage sales, great finds, and the blessing of a wonderful spouse who loves to do what you love to do - it was SO MUCH FUN - we are indeed blessed! Saturday the 3rd was the twice-a-year-neighborhood-wide garage sale at a wonderful, huge subdivision near by. You drive in to the entrance of the subdivision, you're handed a map of all the participating homes (about 50+), then you're off to the races. We stopped at a bunch...not nearly all...but came home with some awesome treasures...for CHEAP!!!! Here are the highlights...hang on, there's a bunch...Vintage embroidered picture (can't resist 'em) and a Tiffany-style lamp...

Another lamp (I have a lamp thing going now)...this one is large and quite beautiful with its ceramic floral base - I will likely put a shade on it instead of the glass globe...

I paid $8 instead of $10...

Pretty spinning lazy-susan for $1.50...

Sweet little blush quilted box...a freebie...

A wide assortment of sweet, sparkly things...

Love the mirror dresser tray...and I always buy candlesticks when I see them to be used for a variety of re-purposing projects (like this).

Now THIS I love...beautiful sweet picture...wonderful scrolly oval frame, and domed-glass on the front...$2!!

The patchwork shades were 2 for $1!

Vintage plastic scrolly frames were 10 cents for all (me and a can of spray paint are gonna have some fun!) And I usually always pick up vintage craft books when I run across them - this one from Family Circle is in a ring binder made up with sets of instruction cards that would arrive periodically in the mail...$2...

But the VERY BEST buy of the day came almost at the very end of our journey through the neighborhood...it may not look like much here...

...but this bag is CHOCK FULL of vintage/antique linens...all from one person's sale...they were former antiques dealers who were trying to get rid of the last of their stuff (my favorite kind of people)...I was picking through the HUGE basket of vintage linens and the gal says "those are 25 cents each"...to which I thought, "cool"....but then I asked, "what would you take for the lot?"....to which she said, "how about, uhh, $15...?" I've never paid anyone so fast in all my life...I had looked through enough to know that for the most part these were true antiques - old and very good quality...and there was a BUNCH...

I counted them all when I laid them out to take photos...there are 33 embroidered pieces of every shape and size...

27 hankies and napkins...

...and 55 doilies!!!

Got to looking at the retail prices that were still on many of the pieces - just these 8 doilies alone totaled $79.50 retail!!

I also found this sweet hidden treasure amongst the linens - an adorable little tiny white dress with lace trim...marked $18.50...

All told, the linen collection is 116 pieces, and for $15.00, that comes out to about 12 cents per piece! It was a VERY good buy indeed!!______________________________

SO, what in the world am I going to do with all this...? Well, stay tuned - I have some BIG, EXCITING things coming up in the very near future - I will be giving a "Coming Soon" announcement on Friday, so be sure to check back!!

Meanwhile, if you see anything in the photos that you can't live without, leave a comment and your email and we can discuss it...first come, first served...

I love you guys...besides my Mom, you were the folks I wanted to show this stuff to the most!! I knew you'd appreciate it! I'm blessed by you sweet things in Blogland - I really am!

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About Me

I'm a ridiculously happy 50-something year old newlywed, who recently left a big corporate career to pursue my dream of being a freelance illustrator. I also love to tinker with photography and decorating. SDG is my motto - Soli Deo Gloria - to God alone be the Glory for anything that may bring joy from this blog!

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bschultea@yahoo.com

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